Health Trends Becomming Unhealthy

2005-12-16T18:13:00.000-08:00

I wanted to bring a topic to light that isn't discussed or recognized very often. When we talk about eating disorders and unhealthy health trends we tend to focus mainly on females. However, there are approximately 1 million American males that are suffering from an eating disorder and the number might even be larger. Many males feel ashamed or embarrassed and are afraid to admit it or even get help. Many of the symptoms are similar in males and females, such as compulsive dieting and exercising as well as generally being unhappy with their body. However, there is a difference between the sexes. Many females develop eating disorders when they have never even been overweight, however many males who have an eating disorder were overweight as children. It is important that males receive help just as much as females and we need to make it more acceptable in society. I found a website that talks about this issue and also shares the story of a man who did suffer from anorexia. Definitly check it out!
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/12/1685_50259?src=Inktomi&condition=Healthy%20Men

2005-12-16T18:01:00.000-08:00

Although a little off topic, it is related to this blog because as stated earlier this blog was created for a class. For our class we are running an experiment to test googles recognition of the keyword: nworbxela. In the beginning google was slow to pick up this word, but as more class member's have placed nworbxela in there blog it is improving. Also KidsCorner is ranked 11th on the keyword search for outdoor trampolines chester. Going along with the same idea as the term nworbxela we hope that as more people put KidsCorner and keyword search outdoor trampolines chester in their blogs, it will rank higher on a google search. I will try to update everyone with the results.

2005-12-12T17:46:00.000-08:00

In response to Heather's comment, questioning the validity of the "freshmen 15" myth I decided to do some research. Most of the websites I visited suggested that the average weight gain freshmen year is 4.5 lbs for women and 6 lbs for men. Most of this weight gain is due to choosing unhealthy foods at the dinning hall, combined with the lack of excercise, and the additional intake of alcohol. There are many different things that can be done to avoid weight gain at college, but these take motivation, determination, and a constant effort. There a few websites that have done studies on this myth and give more detailed tips on how to overcome the "freshmen 15". If you are interested definitly check out these sites!
http://kidshealth.org/teen/school_jobs/college/freshman_15.html
http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/diet.fitness/9908/19/freshman.fifteen/

2005-12-11T13:32:00.000-08:00

I wanted to respond and agree to Laura's comment. She said that it doesn't even look attractive being that skinny and I totally agree. That picture I posted of Mary Kate does not look good to me. She looks sick and frail. I don't totally understand what annorexic people are thinking when they look in the mirror, but do they think that looks good???

2005-11-30T09:57:00.000-08:00

I would like to respond to a comment Marisa had made on my blog about children having eating disorders and weight issues at a very young age. She had commented that she had worked at a summer camp and had overheard an eight year old girl talking about how fat she was even though this wasn't the case at all. This example just reinforces how serious this issue has become and even Mary commented on my blog saying that she has a friend that due to her eating disorder has damaged her body and especially her metabolism permanently. Just like Mary and Marisa I also have had friends with eating disorders. One of my friends has osteoporosis now and she spends most of her time in and out of hospitals because her body is starting to shut down from the lack of nutrients over a long period of time. She is also finding it extremely hard to gain weight at this point and it now is becomming fatal. Many of the mentalities that fuel a eating disorder begin at a very young age and when a child hits puberty it becomes a serious problem. Although many of us do not have children of our own, we do have younger siblings or have worked a job with children over the summer, such as being a camp councelor or in my particular situation I was a swimming instructor. It is really important for people who do spend a lot of time around children to be aware that children do watch and listen to you and many try to immitate your behaviors. It is definitly beneficial to read up on how to talk to children about weight issues, especially ones in the media, such as Mary Kate Olsen suffering from anorexia. Building a trusting relationship, where children feel comfortable asking questions and talking to you is the best way. It is important to monitor what you say in front of children and to also encourage healthy eating. If you suspect a young child has an eating disorder I encourage to take action before its too late. I found these two websites helpful for learning how to discuss this issue with children. Please check them out!
http://www.talkingwithkids.org/e-updates/twk-summer-04.htm
http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/feelings/eating_disorders.html

2005-11-29T17:24:00.000-08:00

With finals creeping up, I thought it was necessary to discuss the issue of adderall. Ever since I came to college, I have seen many students take adderall, even ones who are not prescribed. There are many ,what we feel "positive", short term side effects of adderall that influence students to take it. These side effects include being able to stay awake and do work for long periods of time, increasing your concentration, and decreasing your appetite leading to weight loss. However, before you take adderall or any other drug for that matter it is important to understand all of the side effects and the harm it can cause you. Adderall can be physically and psychologically addictive drug and by taking it, you can easily become dependent on it to the point where your body will experience withdrawl when you stop. There are also negative side effects that include weight loss leading to anorexia, high blood pressure, heart palpatations, dizziness, nausea, anxiety, insomnia, and even mood changes. There are also serious long term side effects that could occur and definitly should be considered. Also because this drug induces dizziness and sometimes hulicinations most of the websites I researched said avoid operating machinery and that even means driving. With adderall becomming so common people forget about the seriousness of it. Just like any other drug it is important to do research and really understand what it is you are taking. If you are interested I found these sites helpful and insiteful. So check them out!

http://www.drugs.com/adderall.html

http://www.webmd.com/drugs/drug-63164-Adderall+XR+Oral.aspx?drugid=63164&drugname=Adderall+XR+Oral

2005-11-08T17:18:00.000-08:00

I was researching eating disorders and I found some scary facts. When i think of eating disorders I typically think of teenage girls, however this is not the case anymore. Kids are now starting to be weight obsessed also.

-42% of 1st-3rd grade girls want to be thinner

-81% of 10 year olds are afraid of being fat.

-51% of 9 and 10 year-old girls feel better about themselves if they are on a diet.

-Without treatment, up to 20% of people with serious eating disorders die. With treatment, that number falls to 2-3%.

-About 50% of people who have been anorexic develop bulimia or bulimic patterns.

-8,000,000 or more people in the United States have an eating disorder and 90% are women.
-Eating disorders usually start in the teens but may begin as early as age 8.

These facts thoroughly scared me and definitly concerned me that kids these days are just as worried about their weight as adults like you and me. It is really important to make sure we are teaching and setting a good example for children about healthy eating. If you have younger siblings or just around kids alot keep these facts in mind so that you can make sure you are setting a good example. For more information on eating disorders you can visit: http://www.kidzworld.com/site/p3155.htm

http://familydoctor.org/277.xml

2005-10-19T15:15:00.000-07:00

People have said many times that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, however i find myself skipping breakfast the most. I did some research and i found out that in the morning your blood sugar levels are the lowest because you have not eaten for about 8 hours while you were sleeping. By skipping breakfast your body will crave something sweet and that's when you find yourself snacking on unhealthy foods. So if you are trying to shed those pounds, skipping breakfast will not help! If you start the day with a filling nutritious meal, such as whole grain cereal, you give your metabolism a kick start for the day. If you want to know some healthy and quick breakfast solutions check this site out: http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/diet/healthy_eating/breakfast.htm

2005-10-05T13:11:00.000-07:00

I found some fun celebrity gossip that I thought was very much related to my topic so I figured I would share it with everyone. I am pretty sure everyone has heard or knows who Kate Moss is. She has been in the modeling business for over a decade. She was also cited by Forbes Magazine as one of the most influential and rich celebrities world wide. Her career has always been controversial, especially due to the Calvin Klien campaign she did for their perfume where she posed nude for their ads. Her weight was always a questionable topic, with a waist size of 25. The speculation got worse in September of 2005 when she was filmed cutting and snorting cocaine. Although Kate Moss is just one example of many celebrities that have unfortunately turned to cocaine as a way to maintain their weight. I find it a shame that because the entertainment industry puts so much pressure on being thin, celebrities find it necessary to turn to drugs.It is sad that one of the most influential celebrities in the world is displaying this negative image, becuase it is these images that are affecting todays youth. However, many of Kate's sponsors have decided to disassociate themselves from her by dropping her from their ad campaign or by not renewing her contract. Company's such as H&M, Chanel, Burberry,and Rimmel, a British cosmetic manufacture, have confirmed her habit and have decided that they did not want to promote that image, which restores some of my faith in the entertainment industry. To read more about Kate Moss there is a great site on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_Moss

2005-10-04T11:54:00.000-07:00

Due to my quest to find a healthy way to lose weight and to eliminate the unhealthy ways, it occurred to me that I should probably visit our local gym on campus," The Little Bob" . I have always found that gym to be extremely annoying due to it's small size. If you go at a busy time you end up having to wait to get on a cardio machine and I don't know if it is just me but I found going on the "boys side" where the free weights are located to be extremely intimidating. However, what I did discover was that there is a solution to this problem. The gym offers fitness classes throughout the week at various different times. They offer classes such as yoga, pilates, spin class, step interval classes, kickboxing, butts and guts, and even a belly dancing class. With the enormous variety of classes and times almost everyone should be able to find something that they enjoy doing at a convenient time. Also the gym offers services such as personal training, exercise design, and fitness assessments, all at varying costs. If you would like to see the class schedule and other services available you can go to http://www.udel.edu/fitness/ .

2005-09-26T09:47:00.000-07:00

One of the most common and popular diets these days; one that I am sure you have all heard about is the Atkins Diet. The Atkins Diet is a low-carbohydrate diet that stresses dieters to avoid foods containing carbohydrates, for example starches and sugars. In turn it promises that pounds will be shed. Such diets eliminate or dramatically restrict the intake of fruit, fruit juice, starchy vegetables, beans, bread, rice, cereals, pasta and other grain products, and all other foods containing carbohydrate, leaving a limited diet of foods that contain primarily fat and protein: meat, cheese, nonstarchy vegetables, and not much else. As you progress in the diet, the carbohydrate restriction relaxes somewhat, but fatty, high-protein foods continue to dominate the dieter’s food intake. However, different studies have shown that the initial weight loss is gained back in full in the long run. Not only do studies show that this diet is no better then the rest, studies also show that this diet can be harmful. The Nutrition Committee of the Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism of the American Heart Association states, “High-protein diets are not recommended because they restrict healthful foods that provide essential nutrients and do not provide the variety of foods needed to adequately meet nutritional needs. Individuals who follow these diets are therefore at risk for compromised vitamin and mineral intake, as well as potential cardiac, renal, bone, and liver abnormalities overall.” So after doing some research on one of the most talked about diets I am even more confused about how this diet ever became popular. Apparently studies show that the weight loss results do not last in the long run and by restricting your diet to high protein fatty food you could be really harming yourself. To read more facts about the Atkins Diet and to see a typical weight loss menu you can go to this site i found to be quite interesting.
http://www.atkinsdietalert.org/advisory.html

2005-09-12T10:41:00.000-07:00

In my first post I discussed my concerns with the new health craze and my frustration about understanding what is healthy way to lose weight and what isn't. Before I continue, I wanted to introduce myself. My name is Erin and I am a 21 year old senior at the University of Delaware. I am a business marketing major and therefore taking a class called Information Technology Applications in Marketing. One of the requirements was to create a blog about something I was interested in. As we all probably have experienced, and for those who haven't your very lucky, after going to college you gain a couple pounds. Everyone has heard of the freshman 15. I don't know if its from pure laziness, the drinking, or the late night food ordering, but staying fit is pretty hard. Going to the gym sometimes feels even harder with school work, part time jobs, and of course our busy social lives here. However, as the health craze gets bigger it seems like the girls on this campus are getting smaller. Even beyond this campus, whenever I turn on the TV or read a magazine a new celebrity has lost an incredible amount of weight. It makes me wonder, how did they lose all that weight and was it done in a healthy way? I hope through this blog I can discuss new different health trends and for once understand how to stay healthy and still be able to lose weight. Although I am not proud of this, I am also an active reader of tabloid magazines and love to read about celebrity gossip. For all of you who love that also, I will try to keep you updated on all new gossip and would also love to hear about some.
http://healthtrends.blogspot.com

2005-09-07T10:39:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed that recently the idea of skinny has just gotten skinnier? Current health trends have led to a weight obsessed environment. Everywhere we look these days we see different methods for dieting and different ways to lose weight. It is almost impossible to browse the internet, read a magazine, or watch TV without seeing or hearing about a new diet or work out plan that will help us lose weight. However, these diets are not always healthy for us and the celebritites that we look up to aren't always losing weight in a healthy way. As a concerned young adult I find myself confused of what is healthy and what isn't. Is it better to lose weight by cutting carbs or by following a low fat diet plan? Diets such as the Atkins diet, as well as the South Beach diet all have very controversial reviews that leave me in a state of confusion and frustration. The concept of being skinny has become increasingly more important and the measures that people are taking are becomming increasingly more drastic. Is being considered skinny important enough in order to take diet pills or restrict our diet to a point that we are harming ourselves in the long run? This question leaves me to the most important question I have, what is considered skinny? Does it mean looking anorexic like all the celebrities these days? Although maintaining a healthy weight is important, I feel like it should not take over our lives and this obsession needs to end.

http://www.annecollins.com/diet-news/celebrity-diets.htm